A class of 2-2-2-2 compound locomotives built by Webb from 1894, similar to the “Greater Britain” class but with smaller 6ft 3in driving wheels. Presumably the smaller driving wheels were intended for the Crewe—Carlisle main line, while the “Greater Britains” worked south of Crewe. In practice, the “Greater Britains” took expresses to Carlisle and the “John Hicks” found their home on secondary expresses.

A type of locomotive valve-gear, where the movement is derived from a vertical link connected to the connecting rod. The vertical movement is translated into the horizontal movement required by the valve spindle by a die block moving in a slide which can be varied in inclination.

The first type of 4-cylinder compound passenger engine designed by F.W. Webb, 40 of which were built at Crewe Works from 1897. A 4-4-0 type with driving wheels 7ft 1in diameter. At 9ft 8in long, their coupling rods were the longest in the country at that time. These engines were used on the heaviest and fastest trains on the line, until superseded by the ‘Alfred the Great’ class in 1901, which were very similar but with larger boilers.

“Jumbos” were not only capable of high speeds but regularly hauled heavy loads in relation to their small size, and so they well deserved their nickname. They were designed by F.W. Webb, and 166 of them were built at Crewe Works between 1887 and 1901. Known officially as the ‘Improved Precedent’ class, they were developed from John Ramsbottom’s Newton Class of 1866–73. One of the most famous ‘Jumbos’ was No.790 Hardwicke. During the ‘Races to the North’ in 1895, it set a record which was to last for almost forty years. Hauling the west coast train from Crewe to Carlisle, it covered the 141 miles of hilly road, including four miles of 1 in 75 Shap Summit, at an average speed of 67¼mph, and achieved speeds over 90 mph. It is now preserved in the National Railway Museum, York England. Even more famous in its day was No.955 Charles Dickens. This engine worked the 8.30am express from Manchester to London Euston and the 4pm return for twenty years and so covered more than 2 million miles, a record that has never been broken by any other steam engine.